Article of footwear having an elevated plate sole structure

ABSTRACT

An article of footwear is provided having an elevated plate structure incorporated in the sole structure and optionally including a fluid-filled chamber. The elevated plate structure can include an upper plate and a plurality of legs extending downward toward the outsole. End portions of the legs can engage an upper region of the outsole. The elevated plate structure can form a cage region that can optionally include a fluid-filled chamber substantially disposed therein. The elevated plate structure can further include a lower plate disposed at an upper region of the outsole, which can form a lower portion of the cage region. Portions of the legs can be integrated with impact-attenuating members in the heel region in various configurations and can provide features for the impact-attenuating members, such as support, impact-attenuation and adjustable impact-attenuation features.

BACKGROUND

Conventional articles of athletic footwear include two primary elements:an upper and a sole structure. The upper is generally formed from aplurality of elements (e.g., textiles, foam, leather, synthetic leather)that are stitched or adhesively bonded together to form an interior voidfor securely and comfortably receiving a foot. The sole structure issecured to a lower portion of the upper and is generally positionedbetween the foot and the ground. In addition to attenuating groundreaction forces (i.e., providing cushioning) during walking, running,and other ambulatory activities, the sole structure can influence footmotions (e.g., by resisting pronation), impart stability, and providetraction, for example. Accordingly, the upper and the sole structureoperate cooperatively to provide a comfortable structure that is suitedfor a wide variety of athletic activities.

The sole structure incorporates multiple layers that are conventionallyreferred to as a sockliner, a midsole, and an outsole. The sockliner isa thin, compressible member located within the void of the upper andadjacent to a plantar (i.e., lower) surface of the foot to enhancecomfort. The midsole is secured to the upper and forms a middle layer ofthe sole structure that attenuates ground reaction forces duringwalking, running, or other ambulatory activities. The outsole forms aground-contacting element of the footwear and is usually fashioned froma durable and wear-resistant rubber material that includes texturing toimpart traction.

The primary material forming many conventional midsoles is a polymerfoam, such as polyurethane or ethylvinylacetate. In some articles offootwear, the midsole can also incorporate one or more thin plates toreinforce the midsole. In some articles of footwear, the midsole canfurther incorporate a sealed and fluid-filled chamber that increasesdurability of the footwear and enhances ground reaction forceattenuation of the sole structure. The fluid-filled chamber can be atleast partially encapsulated within the polymer foam, as in U.S. Pat.No. 5,755,001 to Potter, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,951 to Rapaport,and U.S. Pat. No. 7,132,032 to Tawney, et al.

In other footwear configurations, the fluid-filled chamber cansubstantially replace the polymer foam, as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,086,180 toDojan, et al. In general, the fluid-filled chambers are formed from anelastomeric polymer material that is sealed and pressurized, but canalso be substantially unpressurized. In some configurations, textile orfoam tensile members can be located within the chamber or reinforcingstructures can be bonded to an exterior surface of the chamber to impartshape to or retain an intended shape of the chamber.

SUMMARY

An article of footwear having an elevated plate structure incorporatedin the sole structure can provide various advantageous features, such asincreased stability, shock absorption and compression control features.Many of these advantageous features can be enhanced, and additionaladvantageous features provided, through the optional combination of suchan elevated plate structure with a fluid-filled chamber arrangementand/or impact-attenuating elements, such as impact-attenuating elementsat the heel region.

In one configuration, an article of footwear has an upper and a solestructure secured to the upper having a midsole, an elevated platestructure substantially embedded within the midsole, and an outsole. Theelevated plate structure can include an upper plate and a plurality oflegs extending downward toward the outsole. End portions of the legs canengage an upper region of the outsole. The elevated plate structure canform a cage region that can optionally include a fluid-filled chambersubstantially disposed within the cage region. In some configurations, amean thickness of the legs can be greater than a base thickness of theupper plate.

In many configurations, the elevated plate structure can further includea lower plate disposed at an upper region of the outsole, which can forma lower portion of the cage region. The end portions of the legs canengage an upper portion of the lower plate in varying arrangements. Insome arrangements, the end portions of the legs can engage the upperportion of the lower plate in a sliding arrangement. In somearrangements, the end portions of the legs can engage the upper portionof the lower plate in a fixed arrangement.

In some fixed arrangements between the legs and the lower plate, the endportions of the legs can be received in a plurality of sockets formed inthe upper portion of the lower plate. In some fixed arrangements, theend portions of the legs can be bonded to the lower plate. The endportions of the legs can be bonded to the lower plate in various waysincluding via an adhesive bond and a thermoplastic bond.

In some configurations, the elevated plate structure can include a heelregion disposed proximate the location of the user's heel during use, acentral portion within the heel region, and a plurality of ribsextending outward from the central portion toward edge portions of theupper plate. In some configurations, the ribs can be formed from raisedinverted channels having substantially the same material thickness asregions of the upper plate between the ribs. In other configurations,the ribs can have greater material thicknesses than adjacent non-ribregions of the upper plate.

In some configurations, an article of footwear has an upper and a solestructure secured to the upper having a midsole, a firstimpact-attenuating member located in a heel portion of the solestructure, an upper plate embedded within the midsole and formed from anon-foamed polymer material, a first leg formed from a non-foamedpolymer material extending downward from the upper plate, and an outsoleat a bottom portion of the article of footwear. Some configurations caninclude a plurality of impact-attenuating members located in the heelportion and a plurality of legs formed from the non-foamed polymermaterial extending downward from the upper plate. Portions of the firstleg or plurality of legs can be integrated with the firstimpact-attenuating member or plurality of impact-attenuating members andcan provide various features, such as support, impact-attenuation,variable impact-attenuation, shock-absorption and user-adjustableimpact-attenuation.

Advantages and features of novelty characterizing aspects of theinvention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims. Togain an improved understanding of advantages and features of novelty,however, reference can be made to the following descriptive matter andaccompanying figures that describe and illustrate various configurationsand concepts related to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing Summary and the following Detailed Description will bebetter understood when read in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures.

FIG. 1 is a lateral side view of an article of footwear having a solestructure that includes an elevated plate structure in an arrangementwith an optional fluid-filled chamber.

FIG. 2 is medial side view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is medial side view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1including a cut-away view of a portion of the heel region showing aportion of the elevated plate structure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sole structure of the article offootwear of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the sole structure of FIG. 3.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of portions of the solestructure of FIG. 3 taken along lines 6A-6A and 6B-6B of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a configuration of an elevated plate structurethat can be used with the article of footwear of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a lower plate than can be incorporated in theelevated plate structure of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a top view of an upper plate according to a configuration ofthe elevated plate structure of FIG. 7.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views of rib configurations for anupper plate of a configuration of an elevated plate structure taken line10-10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a medial side view of an article of footwear includinganother configuration of an elevated plate structure incorporated withinthe sole structure and showing a portion of the elevated plate structurevia a cut-away view in the heel region.

FIG. 12 is a medial side view of an article of footwear including yetanother configuration of an elevated plate structure incorporated withinthe sole structure and showing a portion of the elevated plate structurevia a cut-away view in the heel region.

FIG. 13 is a medial side view of an article of footwear includinganother configuration of an elevated plate structure incorporated withinthe sole structure and shown in broken lines.

FIG. 14 is a medial side view of an article of footwear includinganother configuration of an elevated plate structure incorporated withinthe sole structure and shown in broken lines.

FIG. 15 is a medial side view of an article of footwear including anadditional configuration of an elevated plate structure incorporatedwithin the sole structure and showing a portion of the elevated platestructure via a cut-away view in the heel region.

FIG. 16 is a medial side view of an article of footwear including aconfiguration of an elevated plate structure incorporated within thesole structure.

FIG. 17 is a close side view of a portion of the heel region of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a side view of the elevated plate structure of FIGS. 16 and17.

FIG. 19 is a bottom view of an upper plate of the elevated platestructure of FIG. 18 as viewed from Line 19-19 in FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a top view of a connector portion of the lower plate of theelevated plate structure of FIG. 18 as viewed from Line 20-20 in FIG. 18and shown with the upper plate removed, which shows optional connectorsthat attach the lower plate with the upper plate at its mid-foot end.

FIG. 21 is an exploded side view of an alternative configuration of theelevated plate structure of FIGS. 16-19 shown with portions of acorresponding impact-attenuating member.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the assembled portions of theimpact-attenuating member of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an exploded view of the impact-attenuating member of FIGS. 21and 22 along with a lower leg portion of the elevated plate structureextending into the impact-attenuating member.

FIG. 24 is a medial side view of an article of footwear including aconfiguration of an elevated plate structure incorporated within thesole structure in a cooperative shock-absorbing arrangement withimpact-attenuating members in the heel region.

FIG. 25 is a close view of a portion of the heel region of FIG. 16.

FIG. 26 is an exploded side view of the elevated plate structure ofFIGS. 24 and 25.

FIG. 27 is an exploded side view of an alternative arrangement for theelevated plate structure of FIGS. 24 and 25 in which shock-absorbingfeatures are reversed to include pistons on the lower plate andreceiving containers on the upper plate.

FIG. 28 is a medial side view of an article of footwear including aconfiguration of an elevated plate structure incorporated within thesole structure in an adjustable shock-absorbing arrangement withimpact-attenuating members in the heel region.

FIG. 29 is a close side view of a portion of the heel region of FIG. 28showing the elevated plate structure in its adjustable shock-absorbingarrangement with impact-attenuating members.

FIG. 30 is a side view of the elevated plate structure of FIGS. 28 and29 shown in a full impact-absorption adjustment position.

FIG. 31 is an exploded side view of the elevated plate structure ofFIGS. 28-30 and related elements for adjustment of impact-attenuation.

FIG. 32 is a bottom view of the top plate of the elevated platestructure of FIGS. 28-31 as viewed from line 32-32 in FIG. 31 includingportions of the impact-attenuation adjustment components.

FIG. 33 is a top view of the top plate of the elevated plate structureof FIGS. 28-31 as viewed from line 33-33 in FIG. 31 including portionsof the impact-attenuation adjustment components.

FIG. 34 is a side view of the elevated plate structure of FIGS. 28-30shown in a partially modified impact-absorption adjustment position.

FIG. 35 is a side view of the elevated plate structure of FIGS. 28-30shown in a fully modified impact-absorption adjustment position.

FIG. 36 is a medial side view of an article of footwear includinganother configuration of an elevated plate structure incorporated withinthe sole structure in a shock-absorbing arrangement withimpact-attenuating members in the heel region.

FIG. 37 is a close side view of a portion of the heel region of FIG. 36showing the elevated plate structure in its shock-absorbing arrangementwith impact-attenuating members.

FIG. 38 is a side view of the elevated plate structure of FIGS. 36 and37 shown with other features in the heel region removed.

FIG. 39 is an exploded side view of the elevated plate structure ofFIGS. 36-38 shown with a portion of the outsole in the heel region thatencapsulates the lower plate of the plate structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion and accompanying figures discloseconfigurations of elevated plate structures of articles of footwear thatcan provide various advantageous features and can be used with orwithout cooperative arrangements that include fluid-filled chambers andwith or without multiple impact-attenuating members in the heel region,such as impact-attenuating members. Concepts related to the elevatedplate structures, either alone or in combination with fluid-filledchambers or multiple impact-attenuating members in the heel region, aredisclosed with reference to footwear having configurations that aresuitable for common uses including walking, running and general athleticactivities. The following discussion and accompanying figures disclosean article of footwear having a sole structure that includes, forexample, a midsole element, an elevated plate structure, one or moreoptional fluid-filled chambers, multiple optional impact-attenuatingmembers in the heel region, and an outsole.

The article of footwear is disclosed as having a general configurationsuitable for running. Concepts associated with the footwear can also beapplied to a variety of other athletic footwear types, includingbaseball shoes, basketball shoes, cross-training shoes, cycling shoes,football shoes, golf shoes, tennis shoes, soccer shoes, walking shoes,and hiking shoes and boots, for example. The concepts can also beapplied to footwear types that are generally considered to benon-athletic, including dress shoes, loafers, sandals, and work boots.Accordingly, the concepts disclosed herein apply to a wide variety offootwear types.

Various features shown in the Figures and noted herein may be referredto using directional adjectives such as top, bottom, right, left, up,down, medial, lateral, etc. These descriptions referring to theorientation of the article of footwear or its features as illustrated inthe drawings are for convenience and clarity, and should not be limitingthe scope in any way. Generally, however, for convenience and clarity,articles of footwear and their features are described in the orientationtypically encountered when worn by a user standing on the ground unlessotherwise noted. It is understood that directional adjectives willchange if the article of footwear and/or related features are viewedfrom a different orientation than as pictured or typically worn by theuser.

An article of footwear 10 is depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 as including anupper 20 and a sole structure 30. For reference purposes, footwear 10can be divided into three general regions: a forefoot region 11, amidfoot region 12, and a heel region 13. Forefoot region 11 generallyincludes portions of footwear 10 corresponding with the toes and thejoints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot region 12generally includes portions of footwear 10 corresponding with an archarea of the foot. Heel region 13 generally corresponds with rearportions of the foot, including the calcaneus bone. Footwear 10 alsoincludes a lateral side 14 and a medial side 15, which extend througheach of regions 11-13 and correspond with opposite sides of footwear 10.More particularly, lateral side 14 corresponds with an outside area ofthe foot (i.e. the surface that faces away from the other foot), andmedial side 15 corresponds with an inside area of the foot (i.e., thesurface that faces toward the other foot). Regions 11-13 and sides 14-15are not intended to demarcate precise areas of footwear 10. Rather,regions 11-13 and sides 14-15 are intended to represent general areas offootwear 10 to aid in the following discussion. In addition to footwear10, regions 11-13 and sides 14-15 can also be applied to upper 20, solestructure 30, and individual elements thereof.

Upper 20 is depicted as having a substantially conventionalconfiguration incorporating a plurality of material elements (e.g.,textiles, foam, leather, and synthetic leather) that are stitched oradhesively bonded together to form an interior void for securely andcomfortably receiving a foot. The material elements can be selected andlocated with respect to upper 20 in order to selectively impartproperties of durability, air-permeability, wear-resistance,flexibility, and comfort, for example. An ankle opening 21 in heelregion 13 can provide access to the interior void. In addition, upper 20can include a lace 22 that is utilized in a conventional manner tomodify the dimensions of the interior void, thereby securing the footwithin the interior void and facilitating entry and removal of the footfrom the interior void. Lace 22 can extend through apertures in upper20, and a tongue portion 23 of upper 20 can extend between the interiorvoid and lace 22. Given that various aspects of the present discussionprimarily relate to sole structure 30, upper 20 can exhibit the generalconfiguration discussed above or the general configuration ofpractically any other conventional or nonconventional upper.Accordingly, the overall structure of upper 20 can vary significantly.

Sole structure 30 is secured to upper 20 and has a configuration thatextends between upper 20 and the ground. In addition to attenuatingground reaction forces (i.e., cushioning the foot), sole structure 30can provide traction, impart stability, and limit various foot motions,such as pronation. The primary elements of sole structure 30, asdepicted in FIGS. 4-6B, are a midsole element 40, an elevated platestructure 50, one or more optional chambers 60, and an outsole 70. Eachof these elements will be discussed in greater detail below.

Midsole element 40 is secured to a lower area of upper 20 (e.g., throughstitching, adhesive bonding, or thermal bonding) and extends througheach of regions 11-13 and between sides 14 and 15. Portions of midsoleelement 40 are exposed around the periphery of sole structure 30, butcan also be covered by other elements, such as material layers fromupper 20. Midsole element 40 is primarily formed from a foamed polymermaterial, such as polyurethane or ethylvinylacetate, which operates toattenuate ground reaction forces as sole structure 30 contacts and iscompressed against the ground during walking, running, or otherambulatory activities.

Elevated plate structure 50 of sole structure 30 is at least partiallyembedded within midsole element 40 and also extends through each ofregions 11-13 and between sides 14 and 15. In further configurations offootwear 10, elevated plate structure 50 can be limited to a smallerarea of footwear 10. As examples, elevated plate structure 50 can beprimarily located in heel region 13, can be only on medial side 15, orcan be located to extend under only a portion of the foot. Whereasmidsole element 40 can be formed from various foamed polymer materials,elevated plate structure 50 can be formed from various non-foamedpolymer materials. That is, elevated plate structure 50 can have adenser and less cellular aspect than midsole element 40. Examples ofsuitable polymer materials for elevated plate structure 50 includethermoplastic and thermoset polyurethane, polyester, an alloy ofpolyurethane and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, nylon, and polyetherblock amide, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, elevated plate structure 50 includes an upper plate52 having an upper surface 51 and an opposite lower surface 53. Uppersurface 51 faces toward upper 20, and lower surface 53 faces away fromupper 20 and toward outsole 70. A plurality of legs 56 extend downwardfrom lower surface 53 toward outsole 70 and engage either outsole 70 oran optional lower plate 54. Distal end portions 55 of the legs canengage either outsole 70 at an upper region 59 thereof or optional lowerplate 54 at an upper surface 57 thereof. Upper plate 52 and legs 56,along with optional lower plate 54 if included, form an elevated cage 65in the heel region 13 of sole structure 30, within which foamed polymermaterial and/or fluid-filled chamber(s) 60 can be located.

When embedded within midsole element 40, upper surface 51 can besubstantially covered by the foamed polymer material of midsole element40 and the remainder of elevated plate structure 50 can be substantiallyset within the foamed polymer material. That is, a majority of elevatedplate structure 50 can be embedded within midsole element 40, butportions of it can be exposed as desired.

Many articles of footwear incorporate plates that impart stiffness tothe sole structure. That is, plates in many articles of footwear arerelatively stiff and inflexible members that inhibit flex of the solestructure. In contrast, the elevated plate structure 50 facilitates flexwhile providing structural benefits via its upper plate 52 and optionallower plate 58 having relatively small thicknesses (e.g., the distancebetween surfaces 51 and 53 of upper plate 52) in comparison withconventional stiff and inflexible members that inhibit flex. In manyconfigurations, upper plate 52 generally has a thickness in a range of0.5 and 1.5 millimeters or more. When formed from one of the polymermaterials discussed above, or another conventional polymer material, athickness in a range of 0.5 and 1.5 millimeters imparts significant flexto sole structure 30.

Although elevated plate structure 50 may impart significant stiffness tosole structure 30, elevated plate structure 50 also provides variousadvantages, including moderating or otherwise reducing the perception ofchamber(s) 60. That is, elevated plate structure 50, and upper plate 51in particular, effectively prevents or minimizes the degree to which thelower surface of the foot feels or senses the presence of chamber 60.Additionally, elevated plate structure 50 adds strength to midsoleelement 40 that inhibits cracking or splitting at high flex points.Accordingly, elevated plate structure 50 has a relatively smallthickness that facilitates flex, while moderating the feel of chamber 60and adding strength to midsole element 40.

Further, the elevated/cage configuration of elevated plate structure 50can provide substantial structural benefits to sole structure 30 thatcan be particularly beneficial for movements and impacts in certaindirections. Some examples, which are discussed further below, includeenhancing the shock-absorbing benefits of the midsole including benefitsprovided by fluid-filled chambers; providing added support for impactsin particular directions, such as for downward impacts and fore or aftangled impacts; reducing the sensitivity of the fluid-filled chambers tothe user; and providing living hinge support to the user's heel duringimpacts.

Various aspects of upper plate 51 can vary from the relatively planarconfiguration depicted in the figures. For example, upper plate 51 canbe contoured in areas that join with chamber 60, or can be contoured toform a depression in heel region 13. In further configurations, upperplate 51 can also have a plurality of ribs or apertures that vary theproperties of sole structure 30. Many of these variations will bediscussed in greater detail below.

Chamber 60 has the general configuration of a bladder formed from apolymer material that encloses a fluid (e.g., gas, liquid, gel).Although the fluid within chamber 60 can be pressurized, the fluid canalso be at a substantially ambient pressure. Chamber 60 can be retainedwithin cage 65 adjacent lower surface 53 of upper plate 51 and extenddownward from upper plate 51. Further, upper areas of chamber 60 can besecured to upper plate 51 at lower surface 53. Various adhesives,thermal bonding techniques, or mechanical systems can be utilized tosecure chamber 60 to upper plate 51. Additionally, side portions 61 and62 of chamber 60 can be attached to inner regions of legs 56. Lowerareas of chamber 60 can be positioned adjacent and secured to outsole 70and/or a lower plate 58 if present. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1-3,portions of sidewalls 61 and 62 or peripheral surfaces of chamber 60 canbe exposed to an exterior of footwear 10 from forefoot region 11 to heelregion 13 on both lateral side 14 and medial side 15.

As examples, chamber 60 can incorporate various features or exhibit thegeneral configurations of fluid-filled chambers disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 7,556,846 to Dojan, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,443 to Swigart; U.S.Pat. No. 6,571,490 to Tawney; U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,218 to Schindler; U.S.Patent Application Publication 2008/0276490 to Holt, et al.; and U.S.Patent Application Publication 2009/0151196 to Schindler, et al. A widerange of polymer materials can be utilized for chamber 60. In selectinga material for chamber 60, the ability of the material to prevent thediffusion of the fluid contained by chamber 60 can be considered, aswell as the engineering properties of the material (e.g., tensilestrength, stretch properties, fatigue characteristics, dynamic modulus,and loss tangent). When formed from a polymer material, chamber 60 canhave a thickness of approximately 1.0 millimeter, but the thickness canrange from 0.25 to 4.0 millimeters or more, for example, depending uponthe specific polymer material utilized. Examples of thermoplasticpolymer materials that can be suitable for chamber 60 include urethane,polyurethane, polyester, polyester polyurethane, and polyetherpolyurethane. Various thermoset polymer materials can also be utilizedfor chamber 60. More specific examples of materials that can be utilizedfor chamber 60 include the various materials disclosed in any of (a)U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,183,156, 4,219,945, 4,936,029, and 5,042,176 to Rudy;(b) U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,713,141 and 5,952,065 to Mitchell, et al.; and (c)U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,013,340, 6,082,025, 6,127,026, 6,203,868, and 6,321,465to Bonk, et al.

The fluid within chamber 60 can be pressurized to a common pressure. Insome configurations, chamber 60 can enclose fluids pressurized betweenzero and three-hundred-fifty kilopascals (i.e., approximately fifty-onepounds per square inch) or more. In addition to air and nitrogen, thefluid contained by chamber 60 can include octafluorapropane or be any ofthe gasses disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,626 to Rudy, such ashexafluoroethane and sulfur hexafluoride, for example. Outsole 70 can besecured to lower surface regions of chamber 60 and can be formed from atextured, durable, and wear-resistant material (e.g., rubber) that formsthe ground-contacting portion of footwear 10. Various adhesives, thermalbonding techniques, or mechanical systems can be utilized to secureoutsole 70 to chamber 60.

When the foot is located within upper 20, midsole element 40, elevatedplate structure 50, chamber 60, and outsole 70 extend under the foot inorder to attenuate ground reaction forces, provide traction, impartstability, and limit various foot motions. More particularly, the foamedpolymer material of midsole element 40, the legs 56 of elevate platestructure 50 and the fluid-filled aspects of chamber 60 compress, flexor otherwise deform upon the application of forces from the foot toattenuate ground reaction forces. Elevated plate structure 50 impartsvarious advantages, including moderating or otherwise reducing theperception of chamber 60 if included, as well as providing directionalsupport, stabilizing benefits, and shock absorption according to itsgeometry. That is, elevated plate structure 50 can effectively preventsor minimizes the degree to which the lower surface of the foot feels orsenses the presence of chamber 60, as well as move and flex with thefoot, absorb shocks in particular directions, and add strength tomidsole element 40. Outsole 70 also has a durable and wear-resistantconfiguration that imparts traction. Accordingly, the various elementsof sole structure 30 operate cooperatively to provide various advantagesto footwear 10.

A variety of techniques can be utilized to manufacture sole structure30. As an example, chamber 60 can be placed within cage 65 and securedto elevated plate structure 50. A mold can be utilized to form midsoleelement 40 and embed elevated plate structure 50 and chamber 60 withinmidsole element 40. Outsole 70 can then be secured to midsole element 40including chamber 60 and elevated plate structure 50.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-10B, additional configurations of an elevatedplate structure 150 are shown, which generally include the aspects andpreferences discussed above along with potential configurations ofelevated plate structure 50. As shown in FIG. 7, elevated platestructure 150 can include an upper plate 152 having a general materialthickness T, which in many configurations can be about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.In many configurations, legs 156 can generally maintain the samematerial thickness T as upper plate 152 to provide an elevated platestructure 150 having generally uniform material thickness. Such aconfiguration having a uniform material thickness around 0.5 mm to 1.5mm can provide an elevated plate structure 150 that is relatively thinfor imparting flexibility to midsole 40 while being able to provide thebenefits discussed above according to its geometry and configuration.

In addition, however, the geometry of elevated plate structure 150 canprovide directional or otherwise specialized benefits. For example, legs156 can have a width W that is larger than their material thickness T,such as having a width W that is 2 to 3 times greater than theirmaterial thickness T. Such a configuration can provide greater verticalsupport and impact attenuation for vertical shocks without significantlyimpacting the lateral flexibility or overall flexibility of the solestructure 30. In other configurations, the material thickness T of legs156 can be greater than the material thickness of upper plate 152 toprovide enhanced support and impact attenuation for vertical shockswithout significantly affecting flexibility of the sole structure inother directions, such as flexibility of the sole structure directlybelow the user's heel or across the width of the sole structure that canbe sensed by the user.

As another example configuration, upper plate 152 can be formed as aseries of voids 180 between alternating elongate support ribs 182 thattogether form a support web beneath the user's heel, which can also becupped to match the curvature of the heel. Such a configuration ofelongate ribs 182 radiating outward from a central area of the heelregion can provide a highly flexible and contoured support arrangementbeneath the user's heel to improve the attenuation of impacts and reducethe sensitivity of shocks sensed by the heel. Further, in addition toenhancing the flex of elevated plate structure 150, voids 180 canimprove bonding of the upper plate with the foamed polymer material ofmidsole element 40. That is, the foamed polymer material can extendthrough voids 180 to better secure elevated plate structure 150 tomidsole element 40.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a lower plate 154 is shown that can be includedwith elevated plate structure 150 of FIG. 7. As shown, lower plate 154can have a material thickness T that is generally the same as materialthickness T of upper plate 152 to impart flexibility while providingstructural and support benefits, but it can also be thicker or thinnerthan upper plate 152 as desired. Upper surface 157 of lower plate 154can include sockets 186 formed as recesses on its upper surface forreceiving end portions 155 of legs 156. Sockets 186 can enhance thedesired structural integrity between the legs 156 and lower plate 154and improve retention of the legs during use. Sockets 186 can be usedwith or without additional attachment mechanisms, such as adhesives orother bonding materials, and can facilitate proper fit of the elevateplate structure 150 with sole structure 30 during assembly.

Referring now to FIGS. 9, 10A and 10B, an upper plate 252 is shown as avariation of upper plate 152, which generally includes the aspects andpreferences of upper plate 152 except as noted herein. Similar to upperplate 152, upper plate 252 includes a plurality of recesses 288 formedthroughout the upper plate and disposed between support ribs 282.Except, however, that recesses 288 are formed as a plurality of smallerrecesses disposed throughout a continuous upper plate frameworkextending between ribs 282, rather than single large voids between ribs182 as shown in FIG. 7. It is understood for both the configurations ofFIGS. 7 and 9 that polymer foam material of midsole 40 can extendthrough and fill recesses 180 and 288 in upper plates 152 and 252 whenembedded in midsole 40 to improve retention of the elevated platestructure within the midsole. The use of a plurality of small recesses288 in upper plate 252 can enhance flexibility of the upper plate whileproviding greater strength and integrity to the upper plate than theconfiguration of large recesses 180 of FIG. 7.

As with the configuration of FIG. 7, ribs 282 can extend from a centralregion of the upper plate beneath the user's heel outward towardperimeter regions of the upper plate. Further, some of the ribs in bothconfigurations preferably extend to and connect with legs 156 and 256extending downward from the upper plates. Ribs 282 shown in FIGS. 9, 10Aand 10B are formed via raised (or, in the alternative, lowered) portionsof upper plate 252. As illustrated in FIG. 10A, the raised rib shape canbe provided via greater material thickness that forms the rib. As shownin FIG. 10B, the raised rib shape can also be provided via a raisedchannel shape that provides the rib shape without increasing materialthickness. Of course, it is understood that the ribs shown (andmodifications of the same) could be provided as downward oriented ribsrather than raised ribs, and that other rib variations are possible,such as channel cross-section ribs that have greater or less materialthickness than the base thickness of the upper plate adjacent the ribs.Regardless of the particular configuration, ribs 282 and variations ofthe same can provide enhanced directional support based on theirgeometry and orientation without substantially affecting the overallflexibility of upper plate 252. For example, in the configurationsshown, ribs 182 and 282 can provide enhanced support to the user's heeland transmit some of the forces encountered by the heel to the legs 156,256 of the elevated plate structure 150, 250 without adding significantthickness or rigidity to the sole structure 30.

Referring now to FIG. 11, another configuration of an elevated platestructure 350 is shown as part of article of footwear 10, which includesthe aspects and preferences discussed above except as noted herein.Although shown without a fluid-filled chamber, it is understood that oneor more fluid-filled chambers could be incorporated with elevated platestructure 350.

In general, elevated plate structure 350 is similar to elevated platestructures 150 and 250, except with respect to legs 355. As shown, legs355 are slightly curved toward each other, taper down in thickness asthey extend from upper plate 352 toward lower plate 354, and engagelower plate 354 in a sliding arrangement. As with other arrangements,legs 355 can act as living hinges via their flexible connection withupper plate 352 and act as springs via their vertical orientation, andthereby absorb forces transmitted between the heel and the outsole.

In addition, however, legs 355 of elevated plate structure 350 canfurther absorb forces transmitted between the heel and outsole bypermitting their leg end portions 356 to slide along lower plate 354toward each other when attenuating significant downward impacts. Assuch, legs 355 can flex significantly beyond static bending when neededfor absorbing large impacts. In addition, they can also laterallycompress portions of midsole 40 during severe impacts to enhance itseffectiveness, such as acting to laterally compress portions of afluid-filled chamber disposed between the legs during large impacts toenhance its shock-absorbing characteristics.

Referring now to FIG. 12, another configuration of an elevated platestructure 450 is shown as part of article of footwear 10, which includesthe aspects and preferences discussed above except as noted herein.Elevated plate structure 450 is generally the same as elevated platestructure 350, except that the end portions 456 of legs 455 are retainedin a fixed configuration with lower plate 454. As such, legs 455 cansignificantly attenuate stresses by bending in accordance with theirbowed shape without their end portions 456 translating inward duringimpacts.

FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate some of the directional benefits that can berealized through particular configurations of elevated plate structures.Elevated plate structure 550 shown of FIG. 13 includes legs 555 angledforward, whereas elevated plate structure 650 of FIG. 14 includes legs655 angled rearward. Such configurations can be tailored for specificuses, such as particular sports, and, more particularly, can beconfigured to provide certain benefits during actions encountered withthose sports. For example, it may be beneficial to provide greatersupport and attenuation of rearward angled impacts to the heel forsports such as basketball, whereas it may be more beneficial to providegreater support and attenuation of forward angled impacts for sportssuch as soccer. The ability to specifically configure elevated platestructures according to the needs of particular sports and athleticevents can be very beneficial.

As a further example, it can be beneficial in some athletic activitiesto provide an elevated plate structure configuration providingexceptional vertical support and attenuation of forces, such as forcertain basketball players or other athletes who frequently encountersignificant vertical jumps and landings. FIG. 15 depicts an exampleconfiguration of an elevated plate structure 750 for such uses. In theexample shown, elevated plate structure 750 includes doubled legs 755extending as posts within shocks 795 in heel region 13, which canprovide significant reinforcement and impact attenuation whenencountering large vertical forces. In addition, the elevated platestructure 750 includes a thicker upper plate 752 and lower plate 754,which both extend beyond heel region 13 into midfoot region 12. Althoughnot shown, it is understood that elevated plate structure 750 and otherelevated plate structures can extend substantially the full length ofthe article of footwear from the heel region 13 through midfoot region12 and forefoot region 11, or portions of any these regions as desiredfor the particular configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 16, another configuration of an elevated platestructure 850 is shown as part of article of footwear 10, which includesthe aspects and preferences discussed above except as noted herein. Ingeneral, elevated plate structure 850 is configured to be integratedwith and cooperate with one or more impact-attenuating members 895,which can be disposed in heel region 13, to enhance their performance.Accordingly, the combined configuration of elevated plate structure 850and impact-attenuating members 895 with which it is integrated, can bereferred to as an integrated configuration 811 of an elevated platestructure and impact-attenuating systems. Impact-attenuating members 895can be formed as columnar impact-attenuating members 895, configurationsof which may be known as “SHOX” in reference to commercial productsavailable from NIKE, Inc., of Beaverton, Oreg. under the “SHOX” brandtrademark. Many configuration options are available forimpact-attenuating members including various configurations fordifferent types of articles of footwear and even differentconfigurations for different impact-attenuating members with the samearticle of footwear. However, integrating non-foamed polymer elevatedplate structures, such as elevated plate structure 850, with theimpact-attenuating members greatly enhances the range of configurationoptions and the ability to fine tune the performance features of theintegrated impact-attenuating members.

Although the impact-attenuating members shown in the present example andin many other examples herein are illustrated as being generallycolumnar and being located in the heel region, any number ofimpact-attenuating members can be provided in the sole structure in manyconfigurations and in varying integrations with elevated plate structureconfigurations, and at various desired locations. For example, in someconfigurations, impact-attenuating members can be provided andintegrated with elevated plate structure configurations in one or moreof the lateral, medial and/or middle longitudinal portions of: (a) therear portion of the heel region of the sole structure; (b) the centralheel portion of the heel region; (c) the forefoot heel portion (e.g., infront of another impact-attenuating member); (d) the midfoot region; and(e) the forefoot region. In many configurations, some or all of theindividual impact-attenuation member(s) can be included at locations andorientations so as to be at least partially visible from an exterior ofthe article of footwear, e.g., akin to commercial products availablefrom NIKE, Inc., of Beaverton, Oreg. under the “SHOX” brand trademark.Alternatively, if desired, one or more of the impact-attenuation memberscan be hidden or at least partially hidden in the overall footwear orfoot-receiving device product structure, such as within the foammaterial of a midsole element, within a gas-filled bladder member, etc.

Further, the impact-attenuating members can be designed and/orconfigured to provide various levels of resistance to an impact force indiffering configurations and in comparison with other impact-attenuatingmembers in the same article of footwear. For example, impact-attenuatingmembers can include stretchable spring or tension elements that are moreor less rigid under an impact force as compared with the spring ortension elements of another configuration or of anotherimpact-attenuating member. As another example, differentimpact-attenuating configurations and differing configurations ofmembers in the same article of footwear can include relatively rigidbody members, wherein the body members of one impact-attenuating memberare stiffer under an impact force as compared with the body members ofanother impact-attenuating member (e.g., to thereby make the firstimpact-attenuating member feel stiffer, less compressible, lessexpandable, etc.).

As additional examples, the impact-attenuating members can be in theform of column members (optionally elastomeric material-containingcolumn members and/or plastic-containing column members) in which oneelastomeric column member has a higher density, is stiffer, and/or areless compressible than another elastomeric column member. If desired,one or more of the impact-attenuating members can be selectivelyadjustable, wherein one impact-attenuating member is set to a stiffersetting and/or at a stiffer orientation as compared to anotherimpact-attenuating member. In still other examples, if desired,impact-attenuating members can be at least partially contained withinretaining structures, wherein various retaining structures are more orless flexible and/or less stretchable than the retaining structure ofanother impact-attenuating member. The configurability of variousfeatures and arrangements of impact-attenuating members can provide manyadvantages for addressing the varying needs and preferences for articlesof footwear, which are used for a wide variety of activities by manydifferent types of users. However, it can be difficult to accommodatelarge variations of impact-attenuating member configurations in aproduction environment, or to finely tune their features, basedprimarily on the use of various materials having different properties toform the impact-attenuating members.

The integration of elevated plate structures with impact-attenuatingmembers can greatly enhance the configurability of theimpact-attenuating members and the sole structure's overallimpact-attenuating performance features for an article of footwear, andmake it easier to accommodate many different variations. As noted above,non-foamed polymer elevated plate structures can be injection molded,which allows them to have a broad range of geometries and othermodifiable characteristics in addition to material choices, such asthicknesses, that can be configured in numerous ways. Integrating suchnon-foamed polymer structures molded in various configurations with theimpact-attenuating members likewise extends the range of configurationsand performance characteristics for the impact-attenuating members. Assuch, non-foamed polymer elevated plate structures integrated withimpact-attenuating members can provide many and varied sole structureconfigurations that can provide a wide range of performance features asdesired for various articles of footwear and uses. Exampleconfigurations of elevated plate structures integrated withimpact-attenuating members disclosed herein illustrate some of the typesof beneficial integrated arrangements that can be provided, as well asadvantages that can be provided from the combination of thesetechnologies and the features selected for the particularconfigurations.

Referring back to the configuration of FIG. 16, which is also shown inFIGS. 17-20, elevated plate structure 850 generally includes an upperplate 852 embedded in midsole element 40, a lower plate 854 embedded inoutsole 70, and a plurality of legs 855 extending downward from upperplate 852 and connecting with an upper surface of lower plate 854.Similar to elevated plate structure 750, each one of legs 855 ofelevated plate structure 850 are integrated with and extend through acentral portion of an impact-attenuating member 895, which are columnarin the configuration shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. Lower portions of legs855 that extend through respective impact-attenuating members 895 areintegrated with and form a portion of the respective overallimpact-attenuating member 895.

For example, as shown in FIG. 17, a lower portion 871 of a rearward legextends through and is integrated with rearward impact-attenuatingmember 855. In its upright configuration, lower leg portion 871 acts asa central column in the rear impact-attenuating member and, thus, has acolumn strength up to its buckling point that can resist downwardimpacts. As such, the overall impact-attenuating performance of rearimpact-attenuating member 895 for absorbing downward impacts up to thecolumn strength of lower leg portion 871 can be a combination of theimpact-attenuating characteristics (e.g., compressibility) of theimpact-attenuating member apart from lower leg portion 871 and thecolumn strength of lower leg portion 871. The geometry of leg 855 andlower leg portion 871 can be configured relatively easily to increase orreduce its column strength as desired, such as providing a larger orsmaller width, including a more rigid cross-sectional shape like a crossshape, or having a less rigid cross-sectional shape like a rectangle.Accordingly, overall impact-attenuating performance characteristics ofimpact-attenuating member 895 when initially encountering a downwardimpact can be fine-tuned based on modifying the configuration of rearleg 855 and its column strength.

When the column strength of integrated column 871 is met whileencountering a downward impact, it is considered to have reached itsbuckling point, at which point it begins to bend. After reaching itsbuckling point, lower leg portion 871 bends as it continues to encounterthe downward impact, during which it acts as a living hinge. The overallimpact-attenuation characteristics of impact-attenuating member 895during this phase of the impact would be a combination of thecharacteristics of lower leg portion 871 when acting as a living hingeand the characteristics of the remainder of the impact-attenuatingmember 895. Similar to the phase noted above prior to the lower legportion reaching its buckling point, the configuration of leg 855 can bemodified to fine tune its performance during this phase while acting asa living hinge, such as via geometry changes that can affect itsbending, through modifications to the non-foamed polymer materialforming the leg 855 and the elevated plate structure to providedifferent material properties, and via the manner in which the lower legportion is integrated with the impact-attenuating member and interactswith the member during bending.

In addition to providing further configurability to impact-attenuatingmember 895 when integrated therein, the integration of lower leg portion871 also enables enhanced performance characteristics duringimpact-attenuation. For example, if impact-attenuation of rearimpact-attenuation member 895 is generally a single state performancecurve based on the compressibility of the impact-attenuation memberwithout lower leg portion 871, then integrating lower leg portion 871therein can provide a multi-stage performance curve for the integratedmember. In particular, lower leg portion 871 resists compression whenreceiving a downward impact up to the point of buckling during a firstphase, and bends and acts as a living hinge after reaching the bucklingpoint during a second stage. Thus, during the first stage, theintegrated impact-attenuation member 895 has a first set of impactabsorption characteristics of minimal compression when initiallyreceiving a downward impact, and, during the second stage, a second setof impact-absorption characteristics of providing much largercompression when receiving a larger portion of the downward impact afterthe lower leg portion has reached its buckling point.

As shown in FIGS. 18-20, elevated plate structure 850 can also includethe feature of a secure connection 851 between upper plate 852 and lowerplate 854 at its forward end. The forward end of lower plate 854includes an extension 853 that angles upward to meet a forward end ofupper plate 852 proximate the midfoot region 12. The forward end oflower plate 854 includes a set of hooks 857 that engage a set ofcorresponding slots 859 formed through a forward end of upper plate 852and securely attaches the lower plate to the upper plate. As discussedabove for other elevated plate structures, lower end portions of legs855 can be attached to an upper portion of lower plate 854 in variousways, such as via an adhesive bond and/or being received in recessesformed in the top of the lower plate. The optional feature of secureconnection 851 can enhance these attachments and the stability ofelevated plate structure 850, as well as improve the integrity ofstructural support it provides to sole structure 30, while allowingconfigurability and manufacturability advantages that can be provided byforming upper plate 852 separately from lower plate 854 (e.g., viainjection molding) and attaching them to each other thereafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 21-23, an additional configuration 911 of anelevated plate structure 950 integrated with impact-attenuating members995 is generally shown. The configuration of FIGS. 21-23 generallyincludes the aspects and features of configuration discussed along withFIGS. 16-20 except as noted herein. In particular, elevated platestructure 950 differs from elevated plate structure 850 in that at leastone of its legs 955, such as forward medial leg 961, includes aplurality of laterally extending tines 963. Further, impact-attenuatingmember 995 includes a core 965 formed about a lower portion of forwardmedial leg 961, and an outer shell 967, in which core 965 is formed froma pair of mating half-shells 969. The mating half-shells attach toopposite sides of the lower portion of forward medial leg 961 and tines963 extending from the leg are received in corresponding recesses 973formed in the half-shells. Outer shell 967 is generally formed as ahollow cylinder that surrounds the half-shells attached to the lowerportion of leg 961.

Varying configuration features of the elevated plate structure 950 and,in particular, of lower leg 961, can enhance performance features of theintegrated impact-attenuating member 995 based on how lower leg 961 isintegrated with the impact-attenuating member in addition to varyingperformance characteristics of the lower leg. In other words, modifyingthe way the lower leg integrates with the impact-attenuating member canenhance performance characteristics of the integrated unit beyondmodifying characteristics of the component. For example, tines 963extending laterally from leg 961 and engaging half-shells 969 canenhance the ability of the assembly to act as an integrated unit, suchas after the lower portion of leg 961 has reached its buckling point andis acting as a living hinge, which can additional improve performance ofthe integrated unit. The engagement of tines 963 into half-shells 969via recesses 973 can increase the bend strength of the living hinge dueto its engagement of the half-shells. Further, it can encourage theoverall impact-attenuating member 995 to act as a single unit havingimpact-attenuating performance characteristics when receiving greaterdownward impacts based on the overall configuration of the unit of thehalf-shells rather than features of the components, such as viareinforcement features provided by the half-shells sandwiching the lowerleg portion 961 and being engaged by the tines that increase its bendingstrength.

As another example, leg 961 can include additional structural features,such as a rib extending about its perimeter, that can increase itsvertical strength and more securely retain the mating half-shells in theassembled configuration to enhance performance of the integrated unit.Further, configuration features of the impact-attenuating members canalso enhance performance of the integrated impact-attenuating member.For example, as noted above, recesses 973 formed in half-shells 969 toreceive tines 963, and even the half-shell configuration itself thataccommodates tines 963, enhances the ability of the integrated member toact as a unit when receiving downward impacts. Further, features ofouter shell 967 can enhance performance of the integratedimpact-attenuating member 995, such as having a rigidity that is greaterthan the rigidity of core 965, which can increase the integratedimpact-attenuating member's ability to resist bending.

Although these features are shown and described for a forward medialimpact-attenuating member, they can be applied to otherimpact-attenuating members as desired including being applied to allimpact-attenuating members or only select impact-attenuating members.Specialized performance features for the article of footwear can beprovided by having different integrated impact-attenuating memberconfigurations at different locations in sole structure 30. For example,instead of the configuration discussed above for forward medialimpact-attenuating member 967, rearward medial leg 977 in an integratedarrangement with the corresponding rearward medial impact-attenuatingmember can have a different integrated configuration, such as beingconfigured as discussed previously along with FIGS. 16-20. That is,rearward medial leg 977 can be configured in an arrangement that lackstines 963, which can permit the rearward medial integratedimpact-attenuating member to have greater shock-absorption performancecharacteristics when receiving the large portion of a downward impact asdiscussed along with FIGS. 16-20 after the lower leg portion has reachedthe buckling point in comparison with integrated forward medialimpact-attenuating member 995 having the tines configuration. Suchdiffering performance characteristics can be desirable, such as forpermitting greater shock-absorption at the rear portion of the heel andless shock-absorption near the midfoot region while the article offootwear encounters a downward impact.

Referring now to FIGS. 24-26, another configuration 1011 is shown of anelevated plate structure 1050 integrated with impact-attenuating members995, which generally includes the aspects and features discussed abovealong with elevated plate structures 850 and 950 except as noted herein.As best shown in FIGS. 25 and 26, elevated plate structure 1050generally includes an upper plate 1052, a lower plate 1054, legs 1055extending downward from a lower surface of the upper plate that formpistons 1081 at their distal ends, and projections 1083 extending upwardfrom an upper surface of the lower plate that form a hollow container1085. Hollow container 1085 includes a closed end 1087 proximate theupper surface of lower plate 1054, sidewalls formed from projections1083, and an opening 1089 formed by upper distal ends of projections1083. Hollow container 1085 is configured to receive piston 1081 throughopening 1089 into its interior 1091 in an upright translatingarrangement. The cross-sectional shapes of piston 1081 and hollowcontainer 1085 are similar to allow to mate and enable slidingengagement of the piston within the container, such as having a circularcross-sectional shape.

The piston 1081 of each leg 1055 and the corresponding hollow container1085 receiving the piston together form a dashpot 1093 in each of thecorresponding impact-attenuation members 1095. Dashpot 1093 can act toabsorb energy during downward impacts and dampen those impacts, whichcan reduce jarring and other effects of impacts felt by the user and toimprove performance of the impact-attenuation members. Theimpact-attenuation members 1095 can include a resilient shell 1067surrounding the dashpot and optionally other components, such as aresilient core (not shown), which can provide other impact-attenuatingfeatures to act in concert with the integrated dashpot configuration.For example, shell 1067 can be formed from a resilient foamed polymer orother material that can act as a spring to resist displacement, absorbimpacts and restore the pre-impact configuration. Optional othercomponents, such as a resilient core (not shown) disposed around thedashpot within the shell can provide further impact-attenuatingfeatures, such as reinforcing the spring actions of the shell.

Although the configuration of the elevated plate configuration 1050shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 shows pistons 1081 extending downward from theupper plate 1052 and the corresponding containers 1085 shown as formedfrom projections 1083 extending from the lower plate 1054, it isunderstood that other dashpot arrangements could be used. For example,FIG. 27 shows an alternative arrangement of an elevated plate structure1150 having pistons 1181 formed on extensions from the lower plate 1154and containers 1185 formed from extensions from the upper plate 1152.

Referring now to FIGS. 28-35, another integrated configuration 1211 isshown of an elevated plate structure 1250 with impact-attenuatingmembers 1295. The configuration of FIGS. 28-35 generally includes theaspects and preferences of previously discussed elevated platestructures integrated with impact-attenuating members, such as elevatedplate structures 750, 850, 950 and 1050 integrated withimpact-attenuating members 795, 895, 995 and 1095. As shown in FIG. 29,impact-attenuating member 1295 can be formed as molded upright supports1295 that are generally created, for example, along with molding midsole40, as well as being formed as generally columnar impact-attenuatingmembers as depicted for impact-attenuating members 695, 795, 895, 995and 1095.

Integrated configuration 1211 primarily differs from previousconfigurations in that it includes features permitting the user toselectively adjust impact-attenuation settings. For example, asgenerally shown in FIG. 30, a user-adjustable control device 1231 can bedisposed in an easily accessible location for the user, such as a rearportion of the heel. Such an arrangement can allow the user to modifyimpact-attenuation settings as desired, such as for an anticipated useof the article of footwear in the near future that would likely exposethe user's feet and article of footwear to different types andintensities of impacts, or simply for accommodating changing comfortpreferences of the user. Integrated configuration 1211 can allow theuser to change settings on control device 1231 easily, such as byrotating a dial on the device. The changed settings can cause aresilient plug 1233 slidably disposed in a hollow container 1285 toraise or lower and, thus, provide more or less impact-attenuatingengagement when impacts are received, as well as to expose, modify orcover a gap 1235 (not shown in FIG. 30; see FIGS. 34 and 35) that alsochanges the amount and type of impact attenuation provided.

Elevated plate structure 1250 includes an upper plate 1252, a lowerplate 1254, legs 1255 extending downward from upper plate 1252 and aconnection 1051 between the upper plate and lower plate at their forwardends. The connection 1051 can be similar to secure connection 851 shownin FIG. 18 or it can be another type of connection, such as provided viaan adhesive bond. Legs 1255 extending downward from upper plate 1252 canform a hollow container 1285 having sidewalls 1283, a closed upper end1284 proximate the lower surface of upper plate 1252, and an oppositeopen end 1286 formed at the lower distal ends of the sidewalls. Thehollow container 1285 can be configured to house a resilient plug 1233in a sliding arrangement within the channel, which, as discussed furtherbelow, can modify the amount and type of impact attenuation provided. Acompressible spring 1237 can optionally be disposed between an upperportion of the plug and the upper closed end 1284 of hollow container1285 to urge plug 1233 in a downward direction to attempt to exit thechannel through open end 1286. The compressible spring 1237 can includea foam material or other compressible material.

Plug 1233 can be formed from a resilient impact-attenuating materialhaving desired properties, such as a relatively firm rubber polymermaterial that can absorb impacts and act as a spring thereafter to applya restoring force. Various rubber polymer materials that can be suitablefor plug 1233 include styrene-butadiene rubber, urethane, polyurethane,polyester, polyester polyurethane, and polyether polyurethane. Variousthermoset polymer materials can also be utilized for plug 1233. Plug1233 can be shaped to expose varying amounts of its resilient materialfor use with attenuating impacts and to encourage its movement withinhollow container 1285. For example, an upper surface 1241 of plug 1233can be curved and, in some configurations, substantially bell-shaped,such that it is increasingly compressed as it moves upward into lowerend opening 1286 of the hollow container. Accordingly, expansion forcesfrom portions of the plug compressed within hollow container 1285 andcontacting inner walls 1243 of the container can urge the plug to movedownward in the hollow container and to attempt to exit through opening1286. Angled mouth portions 1245 of container opening 1286 can furtherencourage movement in the downward direction.

Accordingly, plug 1233 can be configured to be biased in a downwarddirection to exit open end 1286 based on its design—either with orwithout the use of optional spring 1237. However, optional spring 1237can enhance its movement and, thus, overall operation of integratedconfiguration 1211's adjustment features by supplementally biasing plug1233 in the downward direction toward exiting the hollow container.

A flexible axial link 1239 can restrain plug 1233 from moving downwardaccording to its bias and can draw it upward in an opposite directionaccording to the adjustable settings for control device 1231. Flexibleaxial link 1239 is a connector that can transmit tensile forces alongits axis through a non-linear path, such as a cable, a wire, a lace, anelongate bundle of polymeric threads, etc. It can include a combinationof materials for beneficial purposes, such as a wire configured totransmit axial forces and an elastomeric coating around the wire, whichcan enhance its ability to move within a channel. Further, it caninclude a sheathed arrangement to enhance its movement along a path,such as a wire coaxially and moveably disposed within a protectivesheath. One end of axial link 1239 can be attached to control device1231 and its opposite end can be connected to plug 1233 for restrainingand controlling its movement within hollow container 1285.

As shown in FIG. 31, axial link 1239 can be attached to a collar 1247 atits end proximate plug 1233. Collar 1247 can be formed from a more rigidpolymer or other material than plug 1233 for firmly connecting withaxial link 1239 without tearing, and it can be shaped and sized tospread out the axial forces it receives from axial link 1239sufficiently to avoid tearing the plug. Accordingly, collar 1247 isconfigured to mate with and make interfering contact with plug 1233 totransfer axial forces from link 1239 to plug 1233. As further shown,axial link 1239 extends from collar 1247 through plug 1233, spring 1237if used, the interior of hollow container 1285 and the closed end 1284of the hollow container via a small opening formed therein to enter aguide channel 1249 formed in upper plate 1232. As shown in FIGS. 32 and33, as an example configuration, guide channels 1249 can be formed inupper plate 1232 as open channels in its upper surface. Guide channels1249 can guide axial link 1239 along a path from the respective hollowcontainer 1285 to control device 1231 in a tensile arrangement thatdoesn't interfere with wearing the article of footwear and will not befelt by the user's foot.

Referring now to FIGS. 30, 34 and 35, operation of user-adjustableintegrated impact-attenuating configuration 1211 is illustrated forexample adjustment settings. FIG. 30 can be considered a fullimpact-attenuation adjustment arrangement in which the user hascompletely rotated dial 1231 or otherwise entered settings that releaseaxial forces along axial link 1239 a sufficient amount to allow plug1233 to move according to its bias as far downward as possible until itmakes contact with an upper surface of lower plate 1234. In thisadjustment arrangement, a large portion of the lower region of plug 1233extends out of hollow container 1285 and fills the gap formed betweenthe bottom portion of hollow container 1285 and the upper surface oflower plate 1234. Accordingly, downward impacts transmitted from upperplate 1232 through legs 1255 via hollow container sidewalls 1283 act tocompress the portion of plug 1233 disposed within gap 1235 against lowerplate 1232 and, thus, enable the portion of plug 1233 within the gap toassist with absorbing and attenuating impacts.

It is understood that in such an integrated arrangement, otherimpact-attenuating mechanisms can exist and cooperate to attenuateimpacts, such as impact-attenuating members 1295. Further, significantportions of such impacts may be attenuated by the otherimpact-attenuating mechanisms, which likely would not be adjustable bythe user. However, the other impact-attenuating mechanisms, such asimpact-attenuating members 1295, can be configured to attenuate portionsof impacts that are baseline amounts of attenuation that should occurunder almost any scenario. The integrated arrangement of configuration1211 can allow for selective user adjustment of impact-attenuationbeyond baseline attenuation and within ranges of the types ofattenuation that are sensed by the user and generally considered to becomfort-type preferences. In other words, the level of adjustabilityprovided to the user is generally for comfort fine-tuning typeadjustments rather than large overall adjustments of theimpact-attenuation for the sole structure.

FIG. 34 generally illustrates a midway-type setting by the user betweenhigh and low impact-attenuation and FIG. 35 generally illustrates alowest impact-attenuation setting for the user. In FIG. 34, a fractionof gap 1235 (e.g., about half as shown) is exposed by plug 1233, whichhas been raised about half its range of motion within hollow container1285. In such a scenario, downward impacts would initially be attenuatedby other impact-attenuating features, such as impact-attenuating members1295, until upper plate 1232 flexes downward such that a bottom portionof plug 1233 makes contact with lower plate 1234 and the exposedfraction of gap 1235 is closed. At this point, a lower portion of plug1233 sandwiched between hollow container 1285 and lower plate 1234 canassist with attenuating the impact as it is being compressed.

In FIG. 35, gap 1235 is almost fully exposed by plug 1233, which hasbeen fully raised within its range of movement within hollow container1285. In such a scenario, downward impacts would be attenuated by otherimpact-attenuating features for a longer period until upper plate 1232flexes downward the distance of gap 1235 and the bottom of hollowcontainer 1285 is in contact with lower plate 1234. At this point, thewalls 1283 of hollow container 1285 generally act as a column to resistdownward impacts.

Referring now to FIGS. 36-39, an additional integrated configuration1311 is shown of an elevated plate structure 1350 withimpact-attenuating member 1395. Integrated configuration 1311 generallyincludes the same aspects and features of similar integratedconfigurations, such as configurations 850, 950, 1050 and 1150, exceptas noted herein. Integrated configuration 1311 includes an elevatedplate structure 1350 that provides outer shell regions 1367 forimpact-attenuating members, which are curved or bowed outward to act asliving hinges while receiving an impact. Further, the lower plate of theelevated plate structure includes upward projections that form supportstructures that can resist impacts and assist with absorbing them.

Elevated plate structure 1350 generally includes an upper plate 1352, alower plate 1354, legs 1355 extending downward from the upper plate andforming curved or bowed shells 1321, and posts 1356 extending upwardfrom the lower plate and being received inside the bowed shells. Thebowed shells 1321 are formed from curved sidewalls 1323 extendingdownward from the upper plate in a bulbous cylindrical shape. The curvedsidewalls 1323 of each bowed shell also create a hollow interior 1325for the shell and form an open mouth 1327 at a bottom end of the shellleading into the hollow interior. The outer surface of the curvedsidewalls can form the exterior of impact-attenuating members 1395 andcan be exposed and visible in the article of footwear. For example, asshown in FIG. 37, upper plate 1352 is embedded in midsole 40 and, thus,covered by material forming the midsole. However, curved sidewalls 1323extend downward from the midsole and their outer surfaces are viewableas the exterior of columnar impact-attenuating members 1395.

Lower plate 1354 is similarly embedded in material forming outsole 30and has posts 1356 extending upwardly from its upper surface. However,as shown in FIG. 37, posts 1356 can be covered with resilient materialalong with the remainder of the lower plate rather than being exposedlike the curved sidewalls extending from the upper plate. Covering posts1356 with a resilient material, such as the foamed polymer used to formthe outsole and/or midsole, can provide advantages for attenuatingimpacts. For instance, it can provide a relatively soft, resilientinterface coating 1331 between the comparatively harder non-foamedpolymer materials forming curved sidewalls 1323 and the posts 1356. Inthe configuration shown, upper distal ends of posts 1356 have bulbouscaps 1329, which can also improve the interface between the inside ofcorresponding bowed shells 1321 and the posts extending into the bowedshells.

Each post 1356, its coating 1331 and the corresponding bowed shell 1321together generally form the impact-attenuating members 1395; althoughother impact-attenuating members can also be present in the article offootwear. Because the impact-attenuating members are largely created aspart of elevated plate structure 1350 or, rather, the members are formedfrom components of the elevated plate structure, configuration 1350provides a highly integrated support structure (e.g., the elevated platestructure) for the article of footwear concurrent with providingimpact-attenuating members 1395. Further, the integrated supportstructure and impact-attenuation system provides advantages forattenuating impacts and shocks in downward directions and in otherdirections, such as angled shocks.

When encountering a downward shock, resilient interface coating 1331 caninitially attenuate shocks along with interface portions 1333 of theoutsole coating disposed on an upper surface of lower plate 1354 thatare engaged by lower distal ends of bowed shells 1321 during downwardimpacts. As the downward impact continues, posts 1356 and bowed shells1321 can act as column members and resist displacement. However, forlarger impacts, as the downward shock continues to be received, both theposts and bowed shells can buckle and bend to act as living hingesabsorbing the shock.

The curved sidewalls of bowed shells 1321 encourage bending to occur ina distributed manner generally along the height of the sidewall, ratherthan at a discrete location, which provides improved impact attenuationcompared with bending at a discrete point. Further, the bulbous cylinderdesign of the bowed shells causes them to collapse inward whilereceiving large impacts, which compresses the post 1356 and its coatingdisposed within the shell in a manner that further attenuates the largeimpact. In addition, the impact-attenuating features of integratedconfiguration 1311 perform well when receiving downward angled and evenlargely lateral impacts. This is due in part to the bulbous cylinderdesign, as well as the coating interfaces between the corresponding postand bowed shell, which can engage each other, bend, collapse etc. in asimilar manner to that described above for downward impacts whenreceiving impacts in various directions. Accordingly, such a design foran integrated configuration can provide many advantages related tomultiple features, such as support, appearance and impact-attenuationfor various impacts.

The invention is disclosed above and in the accompanying figures withreference to a variety of configurations. The purpose served by thedisclosure, however, is to provide an example of the various featuresand concepts related to the invention, not to limit the scope of theinvention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that numerousvariations and modifications can be made to the configurations describedabove without departing from the scope of the present invention, asdefined by the appended claims.

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure securedto the upper, the sole structure comprising: a midsole formed from afoamed polymer material and positioned adjacent to the upper; a firstimpact-attenuating member located in a heel portion of the solestructure; an upper plate embedded within the midsole and formed from anon-foamed polymer material having an upper surface oriented toward theupper and an opposite lower surface oriented away from the upper; afirst leg formed from a non-foamed polymer material extending downwardfrom the lower surface of the upper plate away from the upper, a lowerportion of the first leg forming a portion of the firstimpact-attenuating member; and an outsole at a bottom portion of thearticle of footwear opposite the upper configured to engage the groundduring use.
 2. The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising asecond impact-attenuating member located in the heel portion of the solestructure and a second leg formed from a non-foamed polymer materialextending downward from the lower surface away from the upper, a lowerportion of the second leg forming a portion of the secondimpact-attenuating member.
 3. The article of footwear of claim 2,wherein the first and second impact-attenuating members are generallycolumnar-shaped.
 4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein an endportion of the first leg extends downward through the firstimpact-attenuating member and engages an upper region of the outsole. 5.The article of footwear of claim 1, further comprising a lower plateformed from a non-foamed polymer material oriented generally parallelwith the upper plate and forming an upper region of the outsole, thefirst impact-attenuating member being disposed between the upper plateand the lower plate.
 6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein anupper portion of the lower plate engages an end portion of the first legextending through the first impact-attenuating member.
 7. The article offootwear of claim 1, wherein the first leg includes a plurality of tinesextending laterally away from the first leg and configured to engageportions of the first impact-attenuating member.
 8. The article offootwear of claim 1, wherein the first leg lower portion has a firststiffness and an impact-attenuating core is disposed about the first leglower portion and has a second stiffness that is less than the firststiffness.
 9. The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the first leglower portion forms a support element in the impact-attenuating memberhaving a column strength configured to support an axial load withoutbending prior to reaching a buckling point.
 10. The article of footwearof claim 9, wherein the support element is configured to bend uponbuckling and to attenuate axial impacts as a resilient living hingeafter buckling.
 11. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein theimpact-attenuating member has a first compression strength for absorbingdownward impacts prior to the support element reaching the bucklingpoint and a second compression strength for absorbing downward impactsafter the support element has reached the buckling point.
 12. Thearticle of footwear of claim 11, wherein the first compression strengthis greater than the second compression strength for providing greaterresistance when the first impact-attenuating member encounters smallerdownward impacts prior to the support element reaching the bucklingpoint and for providing less resistance and greater impact absorptionwhen encountering greater downward impacts after the support element hasreached the buckling point.
 13. The article of footwear of claim 8,further comprising an outer shell disposed about the impact-attenuatingcore and the first leg lower portion.
 14. The article of footwear ofclaim 13, wherein the outer shell has a third stiffness that is greaterthan the second stiffness of the impact-attenuating core.
 15. Thearticle of footwear of claim 13, wherein the outer shell third stiffnessis less than the first stiffness of the first leg lower portion.
 16. Thearticle of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first leg extending downwardforms one of a piston and a cavity, the cavity having a closed end andan opposite open end configured to receive a piston.
 17. The article offootwear of claim 16, further comprising a lower plate orientedgenerally parallel with the upper plate and forming an upper region ofthe outsole, the lower plate having one or more projections extendingupward from an upper surface of the lower plate toward the upper, theone or more projections forming a corresponding one of the piston andthe cavity.
 18. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein the firstleg extending downward forms the piston and the one or more projectionsof the lower plate forms the cavity.
 19. The article of footwear ofclaim 17, wherein the piston and the cavity cooperate to form a centralportion of the impact-attenuating member.
 20. The article of footwear ofclaim 19, wherein the impact-attenuating member further includes acompressible shell disposed about the piston and the cavity.
 21. Thearticle of footwear of claim 17, wherein the piston and the cavitycooperate to act as a dashpot for attenuating downward impacts.
 22. Thearticle of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first leg forms a firsthollow container extending downward away from the upper havingexternally curved convex sidewalls configured to bend inward and to forma resilient living hinge when the article of footwear receives downwardimpacts.
 23. The article of footwear of claim 22, wherein the first legforms an opening at a distal end of the first hollow container, theoutsole forms a first support post extending upward from the outsoletoward the upper, and an upper portion of the first support post isreceived through the opening into the first hollow container.
 24. Thearticle of footwear of claim 22, wherein a lower portion of the firsthollow container and an upper portion of the outsole first support postsubstantially form the first impact-attenuating member.
 25. The articleof footwear of claim 24, wherein a lower portion of the first hollowcontainer is exposed in the article of footwear and provides theappearance of a first columnar impact-attenuating member in the heelportion of the sole structure.
 26. The article of footwear of claim 23,further comprising a lower plate oriented generally parallel with theupper plate and disposed within the outsole.
 27. The article of footwearof claim 26, wherein the lower plate includes a first support elementextending upward toward the upper, an upper portion of the first supportelement is received through the opening into the first hollow container,and the first support post includes the lower plate first column. 28.The article of footwear of claim 27, wherein the outsole includes apolymer material generally covering the lower plate, the outsole polymermaterial forms a polymeric covering on the first column, and firstsupport post further includes the outsole polymeric covering on thefirst column.
 29. The article of footwear of claim 28, wherein theoutsole polymer material generally covering the lower plate includes aresilient elastomeric material configured to attenuate impacts, andupper portions of the polymer material generally covering the lowerplate engage portions of the first leg when the article of footwearattenuates downward impacts.
 30. The article of footwear of claim 29,wherein portions of the hollow container forming the opening engageupper portions of the outsole polymer material proximate the openingwhen the article of footwear attenuates downward impacts.
 31. Thearticle of footwear of claim 29, wherein the outsole polymer covering onthe first support element engages an upper interior region of the hollowcontainer when the article of footwear attenuates downward impacts. 32.The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first leg includes apair of spaced apart parallel legs, lower portions of the pair of spacedapart parallel legs forming a pair of support element members disposedin the first impact-attenuating member.
 33. An impact-attenuatingsupport system for an article of footwear having an upper and a solestructure, the sole structure including a midsole formed from a foamedpolymer material and positioned adjacent to the upper and an outsole ata bottom portion of the article of footwear opposite the upperconfigured to engage the ground during use, the impact-attenuatingsupport system comprising: a plurality of impact-attenuating memberslocated in a heel portion of the sole structure extending between themidsole and the outsole, the plurality of impact-attenuating memberseach having a general columnar configuration with a central axisextending between the midsole and outsole in an upright direction towardthe upper, each of the plurality of impact-attenuating memberscomprising: a support leg formed from a substantially non-foamed polymermaterial and being disposed substantially parallel with the centralaxis, the support leg having a first stiffness; and a core disposedabout the support leg and formed from a polymer material having a secondstiffness different from the first stiffness; and an upper plate formedfrom a non-foamed polymer material having an upper surface orientedtoward the upper and an opposite lower surface oriented away from theupper, the upper plate being attached to an upper region of each of thesupport legs.
 34. The impact-attenuating support system of claim 33,wherein the second stiffness is less than the first stiffness.
 35. Theimpact-attenuating support system of claim 33, wherein, for each of theplurality of impact-attenuating members, the support leg forms a supportelement having a column strength configured to support an axial loadwithout bending prior to reaching a buckling point, and the supportelement is configured to bend upon reaching the buckling point and toattenuate axial impacts as a resilient living hinge after reaching thebuckling point.
 36. The impact-attenuating support system of claim 34,wherein the impact-attenuating member has a first compression strengthfor absorbing downward impacts prior to the support element reaching thebuckling point and a second compression strength for absorbing downwardimpacts after the support element has reached the buckling point. 37.The impact-attenuating support system of claim 33, wherein for each ofthe plurality of impact-attenuating members, the support leg forms afirst one of a piston and a cavity having a closed end and an oppositeopen end configured to receive a piston.
 38. The impact-attenuatingsupport system of claim 37, further comprising a lower plate disposedproximate the outsole and oriented generally parallel with the upperplate, the lower plate having a plurality of projections extendingupward from an upper surface toward the upper, each of the plurality ofprojections forming a second one of the piston and the cavitycorresponding with the first one of the piston and cavity for each ofthe plurality of impact-attenuating members, each set of thecorresponding piston and cavity together forming a dashpot.
 39. Theimpact-attenuating support system of claim 33, wherein each one of thesupport legs forms a hollow container extending downward away from theupper having externally curved convex sidewalls configured to bendinward and to form a resilient living hinge when the article of footwearreceives downward impacts.
 40. The impact-attenuating support system ofclaim 39, wherein an opening is formed at a distal end of each hollowcontainer, the outsole forms a plurality of support posts extendingupward from the outsole toward the upper including a support postcorresponding with each one of the support legs, and an upper portion ofeach support post is received through the opening into the hollowcontainer for the corresponding one of the support legs.
 41. An articleof footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper,the sole structure comprising: a midsole formed from a foamed polymermaterial and positioned adjacent to the upper; a first columnarimpact-attenuating member located in a heel portion of the solestructure in a substantially upright configuration oriented toward theupper; a second columnar impact-attenuating member located in a heelportion of the sole structure in a substantially upright configurationoriented toward the upper; an elevated plate structure formed from asubstantially non-foamed material and being substantially embeddedwithin the midsole, the elevated plate structure comprising: an upperplate having an upper surface oriented toward the upper and an oppositelower surface oriented away from the upper; a first leg extendingdownward from the lower surface away from the upper, a lower portion ofthe first leg forming a portion of the first columnar impact-attenuatingmember; a second leg extending downward from the lower surface away fromthe upper, a lower portion of the second leg forming a portion of thesecond columnar impact-attenuating member; and a lower plate orientedgenerally parallel with the upper plate and configured to provide asupport for receiving downward impacts transmitted through the first andsecond columnar impact-attenuating members during use; and an outsole ata bottom portion of the article of footwear opposite the upperconfigured to engage the ground during use.
 42. The article of footwearof claim 41, wherein the lower portion of each of the first and secondlegs forms a support element having a column strength configured tosupport an axial load without bending prior to reaching a bucklingpoint, to bend upon reaching the buckling point, and to attenuate axialimpacts as a resilient living hinge after reaching the buckling point.43. The article of footwear of claim 41, wherein: each of the first andsecond legs forms a first one of a piston and a cavity having a closedend and an opposite open end configured to receive a piston; and thelower plate includes a first and a second projection extending upwardfrom an upper surface of the lower plate toward the upper, the first andsecond projection each forming a second one of the piston and the cavitycorresponding with the first one of the piston and cavity of the firstand second legs; wherein each piston and corresponding cavity for thefirst and second legs and first and second projections together form adashpot configured to attenuate downward impacts in the correspondingfirst and second columnar impact-attenuating member.
 44. The article offootwear of claim 41, wherein each one of the first and second legsforms a hollow container extending downward away from the upper havingexternally curved convex sidewalls configured to bend inward and to forma resilient living hinge when the article of footwear receives downwardimpacts.
 45. The article of footwear of claim 44, wherein each one ofthe first and second legs forms an opening at a distal end of thecorresponding hollow container, the lower plate forms a first and asecond support post extending upward from the an upper surface of thelower plate toward the upper corresponding with the first and secondlegs, and an upper portion of the each of the first and second supportpost is received through the corresponding opening into the hollowcontainer for the corresponding first and second legs.